Sorry to Interrupt
by mochichidango
Summary: Because "The End" doesn't really mean the end. Sequel to Out of Sync.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Because "The End" doesn't really mean the end. Sequel to _Out of Sync_. Japanese University AU. Eventual SasuSaku.

 **Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters used in this story do not belong to me.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

 _Sorry to Interrupt_

* * *

He stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours.

His mind was all over the place as thought after thought jumbled around his head. He hadn't been this bothered by something since, well, that day at the courtyard. To be honest, he began questioning everything that had occurred just days prior. He was at the mall with his girlfriend and his two best friends. They were near the foodcourt when all of a sudden, after a whole entire year of not seeing each other, he finally sees _her_ again.

Was it fate? He didn't know. However, what he did know was at the time, it seemed like it was a good idea to walk away from _her._ Thinking back on it now...he began to question his train of thought as to why he acted that way. After all this time, all these mixed emotions were still bothering him. How could things have ended if he still felt conflicted?

Seeing her with that other boy—he wasn't exactly annoyed, but he felt a little disappointed. However, he brushed it off and let it go at the moment. It seemed like he would be fine with it back then but now, all of a sudden, he was thinking maybe it was the wrong choice. Feelings of regret kicked in and he could not understand why he could not let it go. He had to.

Clearly, they had unfinished business. But it was so obvious that both parties had moved on. He had a girlfriend and she had a boyfriend. Done. There was nothing else to dwell on. Yet for some reason, his brain would not give him peace of mind. The strange part that continuously bothered him was: instead of finally talking face-to-face, they just accepted what was in front of them.

Sure, it would have been better to talk, as he probably wouldn't be this bothered if he finally expressed what he was feeling. But, again, they clearly had both moved on. Why bring up the past if you've already moved forward? He didn't understand why this bothered him so much. Wasn't this how closure worked? Accepting what cannot be changed and then moving on?

 _You haven't accepted anything._

Closing his eyes, he rubbed the temple of his head with his hands. All of these thoughts were giving him a migraine. It wasn't like he could just talk to her anyway. While her being in Suna was a factor, it wasn't like they exchanged contact information. Literally, the only form of contact they had, besides the day at the mall, was a letter she had written that was passed on through Ino. There was no way in hell he would ask Ino for her number. She probably wouldn't even give it to him in the first place—wait...what was he thinking?

He sighed as he turned around on his bed. _Hello! Did you forget about your girlfriend?_ There was no way he could do it anyway. Karin would definitely find out and then it would be endless drama and fighting and...

 _Sakura smiled softly as she patted the side of Sai's_ _cheek with her hand, gently._

Why couldn't he let her go? Her smile continued to plague his mind the rest of the night.

* * *

A few months later...

It was a cold winter day in Konoha as Sasuke and Karin were in the library after school studying. Entrance exams were coming up for those students who wanted to attend university. Karin, who was bored playing with her pencil, glanced up at her boyfriend who was busy reading his textbook. She watched as he took notes in his notebook and highlighted key information. She sighed as she looked back down at her textbook. She didn't think she could read another word.

Deciding to take a break, she closed her books then looked at her boyfriend again. Noticing her stare, he looked up from his textbook with an incredulous gaze.

Karin tapped her pencil against her lips as she casually asked, "So, Sasuke-kun, did you hand in your slip to the office?"

He nodded his head, "Yeah." He looked a little annoyed because he wanted to keep studying. Only 20 minutes have passed and he wasn't ready to take a break yet. To be honest, he didn't really go to the library with Karin often. She didn't really like studying for long periods of time so usually, she would end up distracting him when he was really trying to focus.

Not liking his short answer, Karin began to inquire for more information. "And?"

Sasuke raised his right eyebrow while slowly replying, "I'm going to Oto."

Karin's eyes widened as she sputtered, "O-Otokagure University?" Although she knew Sasuke wanted to go to a really good university, she had no idea he wanted to get into Oto. She bit her lip as things just got a lot more complicated than she had expected.

He nodded his head as he continued reading from his textbook.

"B-But that's l-like the top university of Japan!" the redhead stuttered as she continued to panic. If Sasuke went to Oto, where would that leave their relationship? She wasn't expecting to have a long distance relationship with him. Although she at first wanted to go back to her hometown in Kumo and go to university there, after getting a boyfriend, her plans changed. She dreamed of going to a private university in Konoha with Sasuke and continuing on their happy relationship.

Sasuke, annoyed at his girlfriend's behavior, copied her question from earlier. "And?"

Karin sighed as she looked down at the table. She began to fidget in place as she began tapping her feet on the ground. She answered, "Well...I thought we would go to the same university...together."

Sasuke shook his head and closed his textbook. "Look, Karin, I didn't study this hard to get into a private university. I'm an Uchiha, and the Uchiha family has always gone to Oto. That has always been my plan ever since I entered Konoha _Gakuen_." In Japan, public universities were seen as prestigious as opposed to private universities. There were seven public universities that were considered the best in the nation, Oto University being one of them.

"..."

The dark headed boy sighed. It was probably best to study when he got back home. There was no point anymore since his girlfriend wanted to talk. He then looked up at her and asked, "What about you?"

Karin glanced shyly down at the table. "Well, I didn't fill mine out yet...but if you're going to Oto, I will too."

Sasuke sighed deeply as he got up from his seat. "Karin, don't go just because I'll be there. Entrance exams for universities are coming up soon and Oto University's exam is not something you can pass easily without intensive studying. Just because a person passes the nationalized standard exam doesn't mean they'll pass Oto's individual exam. You need to score high on both to get in."

Usually, if someone were applying to a private university, their score for the nationalized standard exam would be enough for the university's decision. However, top universities, like Oto, required another exam. This exam was significantly harder to pass as opposed to the nationalized standard exam. Not just anyone could get in, no matter how well your grades were in high school.

Karin gave out a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. He just didn't get it. How could he be okay being a part? "I know that! But I can't just let you go to university where I won't be there."

"..."

Karin sighed again as she glanced out the window. How clueless was her boyfriend? She shook her head. She would just have to get straight to the point.

"Sasuke-kun, do you know how good looking you are?" He didn't reply so she continued on, "girls will be all over you when you go there and just thinking about that makes me anxious."

Sasuke, oblivious to Karin's worries, was confused on how that related to anything. So this was all about him meeting other girls? He scoffed. Like he would go dating someone else when he was in a committed relationship. He wasn't that much of a douche, how could she think he would cheat on her? "So, you don't trust me?"

"I-It's not like that!" Karin tried to calm down the situation. She didn't want to argue with him over this but that didn't mean she didn't want to talk about her concerns. "Please don't misunderstand. I just don't feel comfortable with you being around girls I don't really know."

"So what if we do end up going to different universities? What are you going to do?"

Karin bit her lip before she quietly remarked, "I'll follow you regardless..."

The boy stared blankly at his girlfriend before realizing what she just said. "Are you crazy?!" he questioned, clearly bewildered by her answer.

"No! I love Sasuke-kun! I just want to be with you..."

Ignoring her abrupt confession and wanting to get out of the situation, Sasuke began putting this books in his bag and putting his coat on. "Karin, think about this realistically, okay?

"B-But, Sasuke-kun!" the redhead tried to protest as she could see her boyfriend getting ready to leave. Why was he acting like this? She didn't see what the problem was.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow when you've calmed down." He quickly packed up the rest of his stuff, gave a short goodbye, and then headed home to do some more studying.

Karin just sat there, still flabbergasted on what just occurred.

* * *

This was utterly ridiculous. Sasuke was trying to study but the earlier conversation he had with Karin was bothering him. He understood why she would be worried but he had given her no reason to believe that he would be unfaithful. Not only that, but he was still confused as to why she would blindly follow him without even thinking through everything. He appreciated the thought but to be honest, it was stupid.

Sasuke sighed as he went to his bed to take a break. He wouldn't get anymore studying done so it was worthless to even try. After a few minutes of lying on his bed, his phone went off. He looked at it to see who was calling. Once he saw the name, he rolled his eyes. Of course _she_ would be calling him. He answered the phone.

"Hel—

"What did you do?"

Sasuke sighed as he sat up. Why did he have to be accused every time something went wrong? "Why do you assume I did something?"

"Because Karin just called me, bawling on the phone."

The boy let out another deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Dealing with girls could be really troublesome sometimes. "Tenten, you know she's just being dramatic, as usual."

The girl gasped, "How can you say that?"

He rolled his eyes. He just wanted to rest. He never asked to be yelled at for something that wasn't even wrong. "Because it's true?! She plans to go to Oto just because I'm going there. Tenten, let's be serious. Karin is smart but at this point, she will never be able to pass the Oto entrance exam. It's way too late to start studying everything that needs to be covered."

"Karin is just worried about your relationship. She just wants to feel secure about where your relationship is headed. She thinks you'll break up once you go to Oto. You need to comfort her!"

"Hn." Was Karin that insecure about their relationship? He never thought about it.

Tenten sighed as she continued, "Sasuke, this is your girlfriend we're talking about! You need to talk things through with her so she can understand what you're thinking."

"I think I've been pretty clear on what I've been thinking. If she doesn't get it by now, then she needs to figure it out on her own," Sasuke grunted. This conversation was just as annoying as the one with Karin. Girls really knew how to stress him out. He massaged the temples of his head wishing this could all just end so he could rest.

"You're being a total douche right now."

Okay, that was the last straw. Sasuke retaliated, "And she's being crazy obsessive. If she thinks following me to Oto is a romantic gesture then she obviously doesn't know me. Going to Oto has nothing to do with our relationship. I'm trying to look out for my future, my career."

"And she can't be a part of that?" Tenten questioned sadly.

"..."

"Sasuke!" the brunette yelled through the phone.

"Look, Karin can go to Oto if she really wants, but if it's for a selfish reason as to watch over me to prevent me from meeting other girls...this relationship will go nowhere and you know it. If she wants to go to advance her career, by all means, she should apply. But again, if it's only because she wants to make sure I'm being faithful...I can't continue this then."

There was a silent pause before his best friend grumbled out, "Ugh. I hate it when you make sense."

"I'll talk to Karin soon, but she has to think about this clearly."

Tenten agreed, "You're right. I'll see if I can talk to Karin, too. When you say things like that...she is being a bit over the top."

"Alright, thanks."

With that said, the call ended and Sasuke was finally able to return to relaxing.

* * *

The next day, before class started, Sasuke was sitting at his desk studying before class started. Although it didn't show on the outside, he was really anxious about seeing his girlfriend. He knew Tenten talked to her, but who knows how she was still feeling. Would she overreact still? Would she make a scene?

He sighed as he closed his books. He just wanted to focus on preparing for the entrance exams without any drama festering his mind. Too bad life had other plans for him instead.

"I can't believe you didn't call me."

Sasuke turned around to see a pouting Karin avoiding his stare. Her face was flushed as she was slightly fidgeting in place. He was glad he wasn't the only one worrying about their next encounter.

He cleared his throat and asked, "Are you okay now?"

The redhead nodded her head as she sat down at her desk next to his. "Of course I am...I know I was being crazy about everything, I just...I'm just like that."

"I know. We've been together for more than a year now." To be honest, it shouldn't be a surprise to him for Karin to react this way. He was actually kind of expecting some sort of protest, he just didn't think she would be so extreme.

She gave a thankful smile in return as she looked like she was reminiscing the past. "And I still can't believe you're still able to deal with me."

There was a silent pause before Sasuke decided to ask, "So, have you figured things out?"

"Yeah, before our conversation the other day, I was actually thinking about either attending a private university in Kumo, my hometown, or going to one here in Konoha. They both have interesting biology programs so I'll be applying to both."

"That's good." Sasuke nodded his head.

There was another pause as the two were struggling to move on with the conversation. It was getting kind of awkward but they weren't sure how to break it.

With a small voice, Karin looked at him pleadingly before saying, "We'll make things work, right?"

He stared at her for a bit before looking straight ahead to the front of the class. Their _sensei_ walked in, ready for homeroom. He could still feel her stare as she waited for his answer.

With assurance, he answered, "Aa."

* * *

Fast forward to a month after taking all entrance exams...

The day finally came where Sasuke would finally find out if he got into Otokagure University.

Like mentioned previously with Karin, he had to take two exams—one national standardized exam and one entrance exam by Oto University. Thank goodness he was able to score high on the national standardized exam because then he wouldn't be able to take the latter exam. That didn't mean he could be cocky though. Thousands of other students also studied just as hard for these exams and probably did just as well. The seven national public universities of Japan did not just want good—they wanted the very best students.

Now he could find out if both scores combined were high enough to qualify for entry into his dream university.

After walking through the entrance gate of Otokagure University, he calmly walked through the crowd of other students who were just as eager to see if they got in. On the far left he could see a student who just found out his results. A group of classmates, wearing blue and black tracksuits, were throwing him up in the air in celebration. That guy most definitely passed.

"Lucky bastard..." Sasuke muttered under his breath.

In all honesty, he did not want his friends to be here when he found out the results. It's not that he didn't want to celebrate with them, but he wanted this to be private. Like mentioned to Karin before, the Uchihas' have always gone to Oto University. This was clearly something he had to do for himself. Although he would have loved for his older brother, Itachi, to be there, he was too busy with work. His brother was currently working in depth on a complicated case. Itachi was a cop, but he never talked about his work, probably for confidentiality reasons. His parents, on the other hand, passed away early. He wanted nothing more than to share this experience with them, but he knew that it would never happen. Although they were no longer present, he felt that he should find out the results by himself in honor of his parents.

The names of those who passed were listed in alphabetical order so he had to go near the end where the "U's" started. This was it. He looked up at the sky, thinking about his family.

 _Okaa-san. Otou-san. Please watch over me as I find out the results. I hope I can continue to make the Uchiha Family proud by getting in to Oto University like the generations of Uchiha before me._

He closed his eyes and took another breath. Counting to three in his mind to calm him down, he slowly opened his eyes staring at the crowd before him. He looked up at the list of names and began searching for his. Among the names, he saw: Ubagai Shirori, Ubaraki Umai, Uchibori Kousuke, and Uchida Gou. His name should be coming up soon. After seeing the name Uchigasaki Mio, he held his breath as he looked down at the next name.

Uchiha Sasuke. Finally.

* * *

Honestly, Sakura had been in many awkward situations, but this really took the icing off the cake.

"Sorry, repeat that?" Sakura gaped at the boy before her. Was this really happening to her right now?

"I'm gay."

* * *

 **A/N** : Oto and all other universities mentioned will be loosely based off of real Japanese Universities. So in this case, Otokagure University = Tokyo University. I still wanted to keep names and other information from the Naruto manga in the story while keeping the setting still in Japan.

Sorry for the long wait! I know many of you have been waiting patiently for this and I'm happy I was finally able to get it done. Just like the prequel, most of the things I write will be inspired off of events that have happened to me. And again, SasuKarin is not a ship I am fond of, but it's needed for the sake of this story. So bare with me.

Thank you again for the support & please give _Sorry to Interrupt_ as much love as you did for _Out of Sync_.

 **Reviews are appreciated.**

~Momo


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER DEDICATION: COCO-HIME** , **Enbi** , **Fangirl** , **PRiNCESS SLAYER o1o** , **Takimeka Uzumaki** , & all the other anonymous **guests** who reviewed.

 **BEFORE YOU READ:** Child institutions will be mentioned in this chapter. It is a real problem still going on today in Japan! Feel free to look up more information so you can get a better understanding of the situation. I will briefly go over it in the story as it is relevant to a character's background story. Thank you!

 **Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters used in this story do not belong to me.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

 _Sorry to Interrupt_

* * *

Sakura had been dating Sai for about half a year. He was her first boyfriend so she thought all the awkwardness in their relationship was normal, however, after it continued on after the first month, she found it to be a little weird. Sure they went on dates, had fun, and confided in one another, but aside from hugs and holding hands, they were not very affectionate.

She could not blame Sai for that though. She knew he didn't exactly have a normal childhood. He never really knew who his parents were since they passed away when he was three. It was from a car crash and his older brother was also in the vehicle, but since his body was nowhere to be found, Sai was put in a child care institution. The Japanese government did not really see foster care or adoption as a priority. A foster care program, similar to the US, was instilled once, but since there was a problem with child abuse, they created these institutions for the children instead.

As he had no other family to stay with, Sai was one of the many children deprived of a caring family setting, he did not have the same experiences a "regular" child should have. He didn't experience the love and support of a family as he was kept in these institutions for years. However, his situation ended up turning out better compared to the other children. His older brother, whom officials claimed to have also passed although his body was not found in the crash, was actually still alive.

His older brother, Shin, finally found him at one of the child care institutions in Konoha. It had only been three years from getting out of the institution and Sai was still trying to adjust to a regular life. This was why he did not exactly act "normal." He wasn't taught societal norms and how to behave in certain situations. He was bullied quite frequently by the older kids and the workers at these institutions wouldn't bat an eyelash. Art was his only escape while he was living in the child care institutions and it was something he continued even when he left. So when Sakura met Sai, they were really able to bond since art was one of the only motivations that kept him going.

So after getting very close at the end of the semester of their second year of high school, they began dating during the middle of their first semester as seniors. After three months of dating, Sakura attempted to kiss Sai but he ended up turning away. She thought maybe he was too shy so she didn't think too much about it. A month later, she tried again and he still rejected her. Sakura thought maybe since he didn't know how to kiss, although she didn't either, he was probably too scared to try. She tried talking to him about it and he said that he wasn't sure if he was ready to take that next step.

Since Sakura was very understanding, she accepted this and no longer attempted anymore. However, after six months of being together, she noticed he was becoming a little distant. They were going on less dates and talking less. Although this bothered her, she knew his situation and knew that when he figured things out, he would come to her when he was ready. She did not want to pressure him to do anything he didn't want to do. She just wanted to be a good girlfriend.

* * *

It was Christmas and they were celebrating by going on a date at one of the shopping districts in the city. In Japan, Christmas was more of a holiday spent by couples since Christianity was not big there and Japanese culture was deeply rooted in Shintoism and Buddhism. As they were sitting at a bench looking at a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, Sai finally began to open up to her.

Sai looked down at his hands before turning to his girlfriend as he tried his best to sincerely apologize, although his tone still came out as monotone. "I'm sorry, Sakura."

"Eh?" She tilted her head in confusion. That caught the pink-headed girl off guard as she wasn't expecting that from him. Was he finally going to tell her why he was being so distant for the last couple of weeks? She hoped so because she really wanted to get pass this.

The dark-headed boy scrunched his eyebrows as he was struggling to come up with words to say. "I don't really know what to say or how to say this..."

"Is this about why you've been acting strange for the last couple of weeks? You know you can tell me anything. I'm always here for you. I'll try to be as understanding as I can." Sakura just wanted to be a supportive girlfriend. She knew opening up was a bit difficult for him since he still struggles to understand some of his emotions. She grew to become more patient the longer she was with him. Of course at times she would get really frustrated, but she knew he was always trying his best.

She gave him a reassuring smile. He nodded in return as he looked at her with a careful gaze. He returned his stare to the tree as he contemplated how he should word his sentence. They sat there for a bit before Sai was ready to talk.

"I'm gay."

"Sorry, repeat that?" Sakura gaped at the boy before her. Was this really happening to her right now.

"I'm gay."

She blinked several times as her mind turned blank. _What?_

"...Sakura?" Sai said with hesitation clear in his voice. He stared at her as she still had a blank look in her eyes.

She snapped out of it as she shook her head. She stuttered trying to comprehend what was just said, "Y-You're gay?"

He nodded his head as he carefully observed her. He wasn't sure how to handle this situation but he hoped she wouldn't freak out on him. She didn't respond as she slowly nodded her head trying to grasp the situation.

He added, "I'm sorry...I never meant to hurt you this way. I'm not sure how to explain this. It's still all new to me."

"B-But how?" Sakura was still trying to figure out how this happened.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking because I know you wanted us to become more affectionate with one another. And I've tried to visualize it happening, you know, to prepare, and I've read tons of books on it... but I couldn't see it happening. I couldn't see you as that person for some reason. Then I met someone at one of the art gallery openings you couldn't attend and... me and him sort of clicked."

"...Did you... kiss him?"

"..."

"Did you?" Sakura implored.

Sai truthfully answered, "No... but it almost happened."

They sat there in silence for a while. Although she had every right to be angry, for some reason she couldn't find a reason besides all that time wasted from still being together for the past month.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I truly am," Sai said regretfully as he looked away from her. He was clearly feeing ashamed and Sakura knew she couldn't hold this against him.

She sighed as she shook her head, "It's fine, Sai. I'm just glad you're being so honest with me."

His eyes widened in surprise. He looked back at her and questioned, "You're not angry?"

"No. How could I be? This is you finally figuring out how you feel. I know how difficult it has been for you. I know the struggles you're facing right now when it comes to understanding your feelings and who you really are. I'm just annoyed you didn't tell me sooner."

"You're too good to me." He smiled as he grabbed her hand and lightly squeezed it.

"And you're too good to me." The pink-headed girl returned the smile.

Things went quiet again as they both stared at the christmas tree again. Sakura wasn't sure what to do after this. Should she just leave? Should she make up an excuse to leave? She didn't really have anything else to say...

Her thoughts were then interrupted when Sai asked, "Sakura… can I be honest with you?"

"You know you always can, Sai."

"Remember that day at the Konoha Mall? When we first got together and you introduced me to Ino and Kiba?" She gave him a confused look. Why would he be bringing up that day?

"Yeah?"

"And the rest of the day you basically clung to me. Even though you tried to give me happy smiles, they were fake. I thought you were okay at first but looking in your eyes… I saw a whirlwind of regret."

Sakura still wasn't understanding what Sai was trying to get at. "Sai… I don't understand."

"I know you, Sakura, and I know what a real smile looks like. I think I have always known your heart was never with me. You always had a very distant look in your eyes whenever we talked about Konoha." He paused a bit before saying, "I saw you and Sasuke together, at the mall that is. I had a feeling you still had feelings for him but I didn't acknowledge that back then. I was too greedy basking in all the attention and care you were giving me when I've never had that before. Don't misunderstand though, this relationship is something that I will always be thankful for, I just don't think we've been completely true to one another."

Sakura noted, "I guess in a sense…we were both using each other for selfish reasons."

"Indeed."

They sat there in silence for a bit before Sai got up from the bench. It looked like he was ready to leave. Sakura reached out and grasped the sleeve of his jacket. He looked down at her with a questioning gaze.

"Sai?" She looked up at her ex-boyfriend.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." She gave him a small smile. He returned the smile with one of his own.

"Good-bye, Sakura." He kissed her on the top of her head before leaving.

And that was how Sakura's winter break started: Single.

* * *

It was the weekend after taking the second exam for Konoha University. Sakura was invited to take Konoha U's specific exam since she scored very well on the center test back in January. Now that all entrance exams were finished, Sakura had invited Ino over her house to catch up. Although Sakura updated Ino on her dating situation on the phone, now that they were finally physically together, Ino wanted more of the details since previously, they were both busy studying for entrance exams.

"Wait. So, he just told you he was...gay?" Ino gave her an incredulous look trying to process the whole thing. She just couldn't understand how things ended this way. She thought things would go well for them since they looked happy when they started dating last year.

The pink-haired girl sighed as she nodded her head. "Yes, Pig."

"So he wants the...you know..."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her comment and replied, "Yes, Pig."

Ino's eyes widened as she was suddenly hit with a realization, "Oh my god. I should've known from the crop tops he wore! I mean, I've never seen a straight man wear shirts like those."

"Ino..." Sakura face-palmed. Her best friend wasn't really helping with the situation.

"Wait. But you guys have been together for half a year! How did this happen?"

"He met someone..." Sakura trailed off, recalling that day on winter break when this whole thing occurred. It seemed so long ago. Although she was still friends with Sai, he was her first boyfriend, so looking back on all the memories they shared seemed bittersweet.

The blonde saw her friend deep in thought. Thinking she was still upset, Ino asked, "Are you okay?"

"Surprisingly, yes. I'm actually glad he told me and we broke it off before anything else happened. I just wish it happened sooner," the pink-headed girl replied truthfully. This was her only problem with the break up, but she was thankful it happened before they kissed or else maybe she would have ended up being bitter about it.

Ino nodded her head thoughtfully as she added, "I mean, I thought he was just shy after you told me it had been half a year and he still hadn't kissed you yet, but wow… this is quite the surprise."

"To be honest, I thought it would hurt more, but I feel relieved. Is that weird?"

"Well, can I be honest with you?"

"Sure," Sakura said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"When I first saw Sai… he reminded me of Sasuke. Like he was a clone, except paler, with a different hairstyle, and a strange personality." Ino looked at Sakura for a reaction, but got none, so she continued, "Honestly, I think that's why you fell for him. Since you couldn't be with Sasuke… you go to his look-a-like. It's like you projected all your feelings onto the next guy. It was basically a rebound if you think about it."

"…" Sakura's face was blank as she was thinking about what Ino just said.

Worried that she upset her best friend, the blonde called out to her, "Forehead?"

"Was it really like that?" Sakura asked as she fidgeted in place. As she was evaluating what both Ino and Sai told her, she was beginning to find herself to be a complete fool.

"Huh?"

Sakura quietly mentioned, "Well, Sai basically inferred that too."

"I mean, when you really think about it, doesn't it make sense?"

The pink-haired girl nodded in reply, "I just… well, I feel stupid."

"Think about it this way. It ended up working out for the both of you. He finally figured out who he is and you get to start brand new. But seriously, we're going to university in like two months! Enough about stupid boys, it's time you looked at yourself, Sakura. When was the last time you did something for yourself? I think it's time to re-focus things. Prioritize you. You know?"

"I guess?" the girl half-heartedly agreed with her best friend. She didn't really understand where Ino was trying to go with this.

"No, Sakura, listen. Society pressures people to get into relationships and think about marriage and blah blah blah. But you know what? Forget that. It's fine being single. It's fine focusing on yourself. It's fine putting yourself first before anyone else. Besides, you have the next four years to mess around with boys before going out into the real world, but you have to deal with yourself for the rest of your life," Ino stated with strong conviction in her voice.

"Wow."

"What?"

Sakura shook her head before saying, "I just... didn't expect that from you, Pig."

The blonde smirked, "Well, take it in, Forehead. I don't give out my advice to just anyone."

The girls laughed before they decided to go out shopping for new clothes. Although university was two months away, they wanted a wardrobe change since they would be starting a new chapter in their life. Since university no longer required school uniforms, the two best friends wanted to make a stylish first impression.

* * *

"Congrats, Sakura!" a dark-blonde woman greeted the girl.

"Thanks, _okaa-san_!" Sakura smiled at her mother. She then looked down and observed that the older woman was holding flowers in her hands.

Mebuki saw her daughter staring at the flowers then proceeded to give them to her. "I got you this bouquet."

The pink-haired girl bowed as she received them and commented, "They're really beautiful."

"Even though your father was unable to make it because of work. Just know that both me and him are extremely proud of you and of all your accomplishments." Her mother stared down fondly at her as Sakura could see tears starting to build up in her familiar green eyes.

Sakura smiled and affectionately said, " _Okaa-san_ , don't cry. I still have two more weeks in Suna until I have to go back to Konoha."

"I know, it's just...you're already so grown up. Its hard to believe you're already going to university."

"Don't worry, I'll call you every week."

They continued to talk for a bit before their conversation was interrupted.

"Sakura!" The girl in question turned around to look for the person who called out to her.

"Oh, Sai!" she said in surprise.

He gave her a small smile before asking, "Would you mind if we take a picture?"

"Sure!" she nodded her head as they posed for the camera. After taking the picture, Mebuki excused herself so that the two can talk.

"So, I heard you're going to Konoha U," the dark-headed boy commented with a smile still present on his face.

"And I heard you're staying in Suna. Suna Arts must feel really lucky to have you." They laughed a bit before they watched all the other boisterous students take pictures and sign each others yearbooks.

Sakura then remembered something and asked, "Sign my yearbook before you go?"

The boy nodded as they exchanged yearbooks and wrote little messages in them. After that was done, Sai was ready to go find members of the art club so that they could take pictures and write in his yearbook.

"So, I'll see you later?"

Sakura nodded.

"Oh, Sakura?"

"Yeah?" the girl answered.

"Congrats, again, on getting in to your dream school." With that said, he left as Sakura looked after him feeling very nostalgic. She then went to find her other classmates so that she could enjoy her graduation along with them.

* * *

"So Hinata and Neji are going to Oto for business. Typical as they are the heirs to Hyuuga Motors Corporation," Ino commented as she swirled her straw in her drink.

The two girls were at a small cafe in Suna. Ino came to visit before university would start the week after. Unfortunately, Hinata could not make it as her father scheduled a short family trip before she would leave for Oto.

"That's true. It sucks though because I know Hinata isn't really interested in taking over."

The blonde nodded in agreement, "I know, but you know how her father is. At least she has Neji with her to make it through. She'll need a strong support system since she'll be in Oto..."

The two both looked down sadly as they would miss their friend. Although Ino was not attending Konoha U, and instead was attending a private university in Konoha, they were still in the same city so they could still see each other.

Trying to lighten up the mood, Ino moved on to talk about someone else. "Oh, I also heard Tenten won't be attending university. She's going to take over the joint dojo and weapon store her family is so famous for owning. It's no wonder though, they get so much business from tourists and students wanting to learn martial arts."

"That's cool," Sakura commented before sipping on her drink. She then asked, "How's Kiba by the way?"

"Oh, he's good! He's going to Konoha Veterinary and Life Science University. Thank God he'll still be in Konoha. I don't want more people to miss."

The pink-haired girl nodded. They were silent for a bit as they looked out the window, observing the passerby's walking past. Sakura so badly wanted to ask about Sasuke and Karin, but held herself back from bringing them up. It wasn't her business. But her curiosity got the best of her.

"So... Karin and Sasuke?"

Ino chuckled then gave her friend a smirk. "I was waiting for you to ask me about them."

Sakura pouted as she turned red in embarrassment.

"Well, if you really want to know. Yes, they are still together, and no, they are not attending the same school." The pink-haired girl's eyes widened in surprise at what her best friend just told her. The blonde continued on, "But don't get your hopes up, girl. Sasuke is going to Oto so you won't be seeing him."

Sakura, pretending to be offended, gasped, "Pig, did I say I was going to do anything? You know I'm not a home-wrecker."

The girls laughed before they continued talking.

"Apparently, Karin is going to a private university in Kumo for biology. There was a rumor going around though that she was at first going to follow Sasuke to Oto, but he didn't like that. They almost broke up over it."

"Really?" Sakura tried to sound indifferent. She didn't like gossiping but for some reason this piece of information was too good not to talk about.

"Mhm. She apparently didn't trust him to go by himself and thought he was going to cheat on her. But I understand her worries. If that was me, even though me and Kiba are solid, in the back of my mind, I know these kind of thoughts would be in my head too."

Sakura could only nod as she didn't know what to say.

"But enough about that. Is Miss Konoha U excited?"

The pink-haired girl laughed, "Pig, stop. You know I've been waiting for this since forever!"

"I know, Forehead. You're just too fun to tease!" the blonde giggled in reply.

"And I'm surprised you're going for nursing. What about the family flower business?"

Ino rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You know I'm not interested in continuing on the family business. Besides, my parents are fine with that. They're happy I chose nursing."

Sakura smiled, "Congrats though! I know you'll be great!"

"Says the one who wants to be a doctor." Ino smiled back.

The two continued to chat until it was time for Ino to leave. When Sakura came back home, she started packing some of her stuff for university since she would be staying in the dorms. After she packed most of her stuff, she took a break and sat down at her desk. Although graduation was two weeks ago, she forgot to look through her yearbook. She smiled as she flipped through the pages looking at all the pictures of her classmates and the other students of Suna _Gakuen_. She then started to read some of the comments left by her friends. She paused as she read Sai's comment and giggled as she saw what he wrote. She then smiled down at the little drawing he drew of her and closed the book before getting ready for bed.

* * *

 _Sakura,_

 _Congrats! I know you'll be great at Konoha U. You've always been so smart and passionate about everything you put your heart into. I won't even be surprised if you graduate as Valedictorian, again. I just want to say thank you for making my High School experience something to never forget. We've been through a lot but you've always been a constant through everything. I know I'm not great at expressing myself, but I truly wish you the best in all your future endeavors. Thank you for all the wonderful memories and I know you'll be great at whatever you decide to do in the future._

 _Regards,_

 _Sai_

* * *

 **Special Thanks** : sakunanda, kakiro19, Dieinhappiness, TrueFan31, Nocturne Huntress, missysj87, kzqueen, Enbi, damchu, Black Kunai Showtheworld, Tinyshygirl125, Fictionalconfessions, Mary Hinatinha, PRiNCESS SLAYER o1o, WintersWhiteMaiden, wanderose, SaNcTuArYXXXXbLoSsOm, & lunalin7923 for all the favorites and/or story alerts!

 **A/N** : Had to find a way to get Sai out of the picture and explain his strange behaviors that he is so known for having in the manga/anime. This was the best I could come up with so sorry if it seems rushed but I'm trying to get to the SasuSaku interactions ASAP because at least from my outline/plan, their interactions seem like it won't happen until much later.

On another note, since this is a Japanese University AU, I will try to make this as close to as possible as what everyday life in Japan is like. Although not everything will be correct, I'll be doing some research so I can get a better understanding and hopefully incorporate what I learn into this story. If chapters take a while, it might be because I'll be fact checking. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!

 **Reviews are appreciated.**

~momo


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